[Jackie07]

I'm seeing my oncologist every 6 months currently - just passed 4 years mark in June since mastectomy in 2007. After my initial lumpectomy, chemo, and radiation in 2003-2004, I was seeing the oncologist every 3 months for the first year, and then gradually prolonged to 6 months and then annual. My mammagrams were always painful but 'normal' until I finally requested one through the surgeon. [I was very 'sick' and couldn't go back to work for several days.] That's when the 'scar tissue' (never had been told by anyone except the mammagram technician blurted out after the procedure that day) was finally confirmed to be recurrence all along.

What I'd like to caution others is that lab works usually give better indication of what's going on. My lab report always showed some strange stuff, but was brushed off as 'that's just me'. I was losing weight - always an indication of some type of serious problem, and had to use prescription skin medicine - another sign of something's not right.

I was lucky that the 2, 3 car accidents I had during that period were all minor. Because I'd also had brain tumor (unrelated to bc) surgeries, we attributed everything (fatigue, forgetfulness,...etc.) to my brain tumor history and neglected the possibility of bc recurrence.

Not trying to scare anyone. Just wanted to share my own experience that we have to be vigilant and pay attention to our own physical condition.